I began sewing a quilt for a friend's baby a little over a year ago but midway through totally screwed it up and then lost steam and fortitude to try and repair and finish the gift. It has been tucked away in a drawer until this weekend when I pulled it out and decided to re-purpose the failed baby quilt into a dog bed cover for our rescued Goldendoodle, Wilson. Wilson is doing amazing here at the Smith Homestead. He has changed alot since his arrival a couple of months ago. The sores on his back finally healed (after 2 months wearing the cone-of-shame), he has put on some much needed weight and he holds his head high instead of dragging his jowls on the ground. We are amazed that for a dog that has spent the better part of his 2 years of life living in a barn alone on a farm, he is so well behaved (even loving his garden hose weekly bath).Canaan and Ezra are still acclimating to life with a dog and Otto has found the experience completely exhilarating. Wilson may have just got his first dog bed but Otto has had his own "dog bed" for 2 months now ~ continually using Wilson's body as his own recliner...which Wilson seems to tolerate quite well. On another note, being back at the sewing machine after a long 3 month hiatus felt great. The rhythmic hum was a heavenly stress reliever after a long (yet fun) week at the shop.

Sweets are a part of our daily lives now. We own a bakery, if you haven't heard, so much of my day is spent mixing, kneading, melting chocolate and baking. On top of baking for the shop, I have been busy developing new cake recipes for a baking publication coming out soon. That required not just baking but taste testing.

What I have found most astonishing during this first month of bakery ownership is the fact that I just don't eat much. I am so busy in the kitchen ( where thanks to food inspector regulations I can't actually EAT anything) that by the time I make it home at 3ish I am famished. But even then I am too tired to cook and just want to hang with the boys...so I don't eat.

All this said, my metabolism has been way out of whack and I am in need of a more disciplined approach to the daily diet. For the next 2 weeks Mike and I are following a strict cleanse diet. We will be eliminating all sugar, grains, flour, alcohol, and milk. The cleanse gives us very specific times to eat, which will be great for us at this point in life.

If we can do it, I declare that we will be the the most disciplined people in the whole world! Working in a bakery yet having the ability to resist the temptation? Wish us luck.